State control of Silver Springs attraction looks increasingly likely

In this July 25, 2012 file photo, a diver enters the cavern in the main spring while a pontoon boat sits 40 feet above him at the Silver Springs nature park. Years of drought and nitrate pollution have reduced the flow and spawned lots of green and brown algae growth, compromising water clarity and quality.

Published: Monday, January 7, 2013 at 3:27 p.m.

Last Modified: Monday, January 7, 2013 at 3:27 p.m.

It might not be official yet, but the state’s answer to the question of whether the Silver Springs attraction will become a state park is looking more like a matter of when and not if.

Facts

Meeting about Silver Springs

The state Department of Environmental Protection will hold another meeting concerning the Silver Springs attraction at 7 p.m. next Monday at Vanguard High School, 7 NW 28th St., Ocala.

On Monday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection released the draft of a plan for managing the renowned tourist site should Palace Entertainment opt out of its lease.

The plan was assembled from public comments made at a Dec. 12 public hearing that DEP hosted at Vanguard High School, said Jennifer Diaz, spokeswoman for the Florida Park Service.

She insisted that a change in management at the 242-acre facility still hinges on the approval of an agreement between the state and Palace Entertainment by Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet, and that it’s unknown when or if the panel will take up a shift in management at Silver Springs.

Still, Diaz explained, the plan was written to inform the public what steps the state would take at Silver Springs during a transition from Palace’s control to incorporating the park into DEP’s regular management strategy for all state parks.

That will be the subject of a second public hearing, schedule for 7 p.m. Monday at Vanguard.

The language of the plan itself suggests parks officials are moving closer to taking the reins.

The document notes that the state acquired the site in 1993, and that deal opened a 20-year window during which the property was to be restored to a “more natural, environmentally sensitive condition” in preparation for DEP’s “eventual management” of the property as a state park.

Palace Entertainment, a California-based theme park operator, is the latest and longest-surviving of a series of companies to run Silver Springs since 1993. The company has operated there since 2002, and has leased the site until the end of 2029.

Palace, the DEP proposal points out, has said it no longer wants to manage the attraction.

If that comes to pass, the state wants to incorporate it into the neighboring Silver River State Park.

According to the draft plan, the DEP’s goals during a transition to state management include: ensuring the park remains open with minimal disruption to visitors; reducing the impact of the man-made features on the waterway; identifying facilities or infrastructure that need to be repaired or removed; seeking out opportunities for private concessionaires to provide many of the services now offered by Palace Entertainment.

The agency would also maintain some core elements to Silver Springs, or launch new ones, the proposal says.

Those include: operation of the glass-bottom boats and Wild Waters theme park; the concerts and special events; offering swimming, canoeing, kayaking and hiking and nature trails; “interpretive” programs focusing on the park’s natural, cultural and water resources.

The state intends to solicit private contractors to handle some of those services and others, such as food sales, equipment rental and retails sales from the gift shops and other on-site outlets.

State officials also have sized up a number of necessary capital repairs.

For example, the roofs and air conditioning units in the historic structures, some of which date to the late 1950s, need to be replaced.

The state also wants to tear out some of the asphalt in the 1,750-space parking lot, and upgrade the stormwater systems at Wild Waters and within Silver Springs.

Deteriorating buildings and other infrastructure would be rebuilt or refurbished, while those that are deemed inessential or incompatible to the “resource-based recreation mission” of the park would be torn down.

Some of the latter include the Jeep Safari area and maintenance building, the animal exhibits and petting zoo, the amusement rides and Lost River Voyage launch and the Kids Ahoy Playland, gift shop and restrooms.

The draft document notes that the agency will eventually need additional funding to build new facilities and operate the site.

Palace Entertainment’s departure would open a hole of $600,000 or so in the state’s annual budget because of lost rent payments.

Diaz said DEP continues to evaluate that potential cost.

Yet parks officials, according to the draft plan, believe some of that would be offset because of “significantly reduced” operating and maintenance costs, attributable to returning the attraction to a “much more natural condition than exists today.”

Diaz added that Marion County would not be responsible for footing any of the bill related to the upgrades at Silver Springs.

That had been a major sticking point in the past for the County Commission.

The board was divided for much of 2011, when the idea of easing Palace Entertainment out of the park first came to light, because the proposal called for the county spending as much as $6 million over three years to help broker the deal.

The DEP, Diaz said, would continue to welcome the input of local residents for the future of the park, which is the reason for the second hearing next week.

“We want to hear what the community likes, what it doesn’t like, and if we have thought of XYZ,” she said.

<p>It might not be official yet, but the state's answer to the question of whether the Silver Springs attraction will become a state park is looking more like a matter of when and not if.</p><p>On Monday, the Florida Department of Environmental Protection released the draft of a plan for managing the renowned tourist site should Palace Entertainment opt out of its lease.</p><p>The plan was assembled from public comments made at a Dec. 12 public hearing that DEP hosted at Vanguard High School, said Jennifer Diaz, spokeswoman for the Florida Park Service.</p><p>She insisted that a change in management at the 242-acre facility still hinges on the approval of an agreement between the state and Palace Entertainment by Gov. Rick Scott and the Cabinet, and that it's unknown when or if the panel will take up a shift in management at Silver Springs.</p><p>Still, Diaz explained, the plan was written to inform the public what steps the state would take at Silver Springs during a transition from Palace's control to incorporating the park into DEP's regular management strategy for all state parks.</p><p>That will be the subject of a second public hearing, schedule for 7 p.m. Monday at Vanguard.</p><p>The language of the plan itself suggests parks officials are moving closer to taking the reins.</p><p>The document notes that the state acquired the site in 1993, and that deal opened a 20-year window during which the property was to be restored to a “more natural, environmentally sensitive condition” in preparation for DEP's “eventual management” of the property as a state park.</p><p>Palace Entertainment, a California-based theme park operator, is the latest and longest-surviving of a series of companies to run Silver Springs since 1993. The company has operated there since 2002, and has leased the site until the end of 2029.</p><p>Palace, the DEP proposal points out, has said it no longer wants to manage the attraction.</p><p>If that comes to pass, the state wants to incorporate it into the neighboring Silver River State Park.</p><p>According to the draft plan, the DEP's goals during a transition to state management include: ensuring the park remains open with minimal disruption to visitors; reducing the impact of the man-made features on the waterway; identifying facilities or infrastructure that need to be repaired or removed; seeking out opportunities for private concessionaires to provide many of the services now offered by Palace Entertainment.</p><p>The agency would also maintain some core elements to Silver Springs, or launch new ones, the proposal says.</p><p>Those include: operation of the glass-bottom boats and Wild Waters theme park; the concerts and special events; offering swimming, canoeing, kayaking and hiking and nature trails; “interpretive” programs focusing on the park's natural, cultural and water resources.</p><p>The state intends to solicit private contractors to handle some of those services and others, such as food sales, equipment rental and retails sales from the gift shops and other on-site outlets.</p><p>State officials also have sized up a number of necessary capital repairs.</p><p>For example, the roofs and air conditioning units in the historic structures, some of which date to the late 1950s, need to be replaced.</p><p>The state also wants to tear out some of the asphalt in the 1,750-space parking lot, and upgrade the stormwater systems at Wild Waters and within Silver Springs.</p><p>Deteriorating buildings and other infrastructure would be rebuilt or refurbished, while those that are deemed inessential or incompatible to the “resource-based recreation mission” of the park would be torn down.</p><p>Some of the latter include the Jeep Safari area and maintenance building, the animal exhibits and petting zoo, the amusement rides and Lost River Voyage launch and the Kids Ahoy Playland, gift shop and restrooms.</p><p>Palace Entertainment may contribute toward the improvements, Diaz said.</p><p>The draft document notes that the agency will eventually need additional funding to build new facilities and operate the site.</p><p>Palace Entertainment's departure would open a hole of $600,000 or so in the state's annual budget because of lost rent payments.</p><p>Diaz said DEP continues to evaluate that potential cost.</p><p>Yet parks officials, according to the draft plan, believe some of that would be offset because of “significantly reduced” operating and maintenance costs, attributable to returning the attraction to a “much more natural condition than exists today.”</p><p>Diaz added that Marion County would not be responsible for footing any of the bill related to the upgrades at Silver Springs.</p><p>That had been a major sticking point in the past for the County Commission.</p><p>The board was divided for much of 2011, when the idea of easing Palace Entertainment out of the park first came to light, because the proposal called for the county spending as much as $6 million over three years to help broker the deal.</p><p>The DEP, Diaz said, would continue to welcome the input of local residents for the future of the park, which is the reason for the second hearing next week.</p><p>“We want to hear what the community likes, what it doesn't like, and if we have thought of XYZ,” she said.</p><p>Contact Bill Thompson at 867-4117 or at bill.thompson@starbanner.com</p>